Postdoctoral Fellow: Black Hole Initiative - Military veterans preferred

Harvard University


Title: Postdoctoral Fellow: Black Hole Initiative

School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department_Area: Black Hole Initiative

Position Description: Applications are invited for Postdoctoral Research Fellows in the Black Hole Initiative ( BHI ) at Harvard University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory ( SAO ). The BHI is the first interdisciplinary research center worldwide to focus on the study of black holes. It is located within Harvard University at 20 Garden Street in Cambridge, MA. Current senior members of the BHI include Harvard faculty, BHI Director Peter Galison (History & Philosophy of Science), Ramesh Narayan (Astronomy), Andy Strominger (Physics) and Abraham Loeb (Astronomy), Yale Faculty Priyamvada Natarajan (Astronomy), MIT Faculty Netta Engelhardt (Physics), as well as SAO astronomers Sheperd Doeleman (Founding Director of the Event Horizon Telescope project) and Michael Johnson (Astrophysicist, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA). Successful candidates will have access to our new computing facilities and will have the opportunity to interact and work with researchers above in multiple fields, including (but of course not limited to):

• Fundamental physics of black holes and the information paradox.

• Mathematical stability of spacetime and gravitational memory.

• GR Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion flows.

• Tidal disruption events.

• Gravitational Waves and black hole mergers.

• The Philosophical and Historical context of black holes.

• Horizon-resolving observations and analysis using the EHT .
Starting date for BHI postdoctoral fellows is September 1, 2025. Applications should be submitted electronically by 5:00pm EST , December 2, 2024, but applications will be considered ongoing, continuing until the positions are filled. The grant-funded positions are for three years, contingent on performance and funding. Resources for research expenses including publication charges, related conference travel, and computing resources will be available.

Please direct any questions on the application process to Nicole Grenier: nicole.grenier@cfa.harvard.edu.

Basic Qualifications: All the following online application materials are requested:

Three Uploaded Forms in PDF (preferred) or Plain Text Format:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Publication List
3. Research Proposal
4. Three Letters of reference

PLEASE NOTE : Completion of the Ph.D. is required to begin a Postdoctoral Fellowship; successful candidates who have received their degree within three years of the effective start date of the fellowship must provide verification of their Ph.D.



Contact Information: Nicole Grenier
BHI Division Administrator
617-496-8956

Contact Email: nicole.grenier@cfa.harvard.edu

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Minimum Number of References Required: 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed: 4


Supplemental Questions: Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).



Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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